ABSTRACT
Jewish immigrants in Israel represent a kind of immigration that is widely ignored in the literature, namely, Returning Diasporas. * This type of immigrant group has recently multiplied and may be found in various countries, inter alia, Germany, Romania and Hungary. What distinguishes a Returning Diaspora (RD) from other immigrant groups is, first, that its members see themselves in one way or another as exiles in their countries of origin and exhibit feelings of home-coming upon immigrating. Second, this is also the way the dominant culture of the target society sees them, which accounts for the immediate and unconditional acceptance of the newcomers into membership upon their arrival. This privilege is articulated by legal statutes — like the Law of Return for Jews in Israel or the Constitution for Aussiedlers in Germany — and may involve special assistance to immigrants in the form of absorption budgets.
